1. Lecture 1

Question 1

What is an animal?

Answer 1

Multicellular eukaryotic organisms that have well-defined shape and usually limited growth, can move voluntarily, actively acquire food and digest it internally, and have sensory systems that allow them to respond to stimulus.

Question 2

Reasons to study behavior

Answer 2

Conserve and protect endangered species

Understand actions of economically important predators, pests, and parasites

Understand domesticated animals to better serve us

Improve welfare of animals particularly those in captivity

Question 3

Three approaches to studying behavior

Answer 3

Conceptual, Theoretical, and Empirical using the scientific method

Question 4

Aristotle

Answer 4

Wrote about natural history of animals

First extensive use of observational behavior

Question 5

Charles Darwin

Answer 5

Made countless observations of animals in their natural setting while sailing onboard the Beagle.

Formulated theory of natural selection

Question 6

Gregor Mendel

Answer 6

Established key principles of the laws of inheritance of biological characteristics through experimenting with garden peas

Question 7

Classical Ethology

Answer 7

Europe

Evolution, function, and mechanisms of behavior

Looked at species differences

Studied animals in their natural habitat

Looked at innate behavior

Question 8

Comparative Psychology

Answer 8

USA

Mechanisms and development of behavior

Laws of behavior

Studied animals in lab setting

Focused on learned behavior

Question 9

John Watson

Answer 9

Principal founder of school of behaviorism.

Animal behavior consists of an animals responses, reaction, or adjustments to stimuli or complexes of stimuli

Question 10

Edward Thorndike

Answer 10

Puzzle box - cat in a box discovering how to get out

Responses that are rewarded tend to be repeated

The process of learning must be the same in all species

Question 11

B.F. Skinner

Answer 11

Operant cages (Rat in a box)

Concentrated on describing stimulus and response it elicits: control of behavior was basically a matter of reinforcement

Question 12

Konrad Lorenz

Answer 12

Pioneered studies of genetically programmed behavior

Investigated importance of specific types of stimulation for young animals during critical periods of early development

Imprinting is genetically programmed

Releasing stimuli: Specific types of stimulation for young animals during critical periods of early development

Question 13

Karl von Frisch

Answer 13

Conducted research on animal sensory process and made important contributions to the study of bee communication

Question 14

Niko Tinbergen

Answer 14

Developed the scheme with which modern ethology is founded

Four areas of inquiry: causation, development, evolution, and function of behavior (“the four questions”)